Across our visits to the Parisian palaces this summer 2026, one refrain keeps resurfacing: the ice cream cup has become the best excuse to enjoy a chic terrace without committing to a full meal. Three spots particularly impressed us this year, in the 1st, the 8th and the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The common thread? Ice creams crafted by renowned pastry chefs, and a setting that’s worth the trip on its own.
Let us be upfront: these are palace-level prices. But since you’re going to splurge, you might as well know where to do it.
High on the seventh floor of Cheval Blanc Paris, Le Jardin sprawls 650 square meters of greenery above the Samaritaine district. Alleys lined with groves, red hydrangeas, thyme and mint scenting the passage, and a 360-degree panorama stretching from Montmartre to the Eiffel Tower.
Pastry chef Maxime Frédéric puts his stamp on these coupes glacées, imagined in the spirit of Italian gelato. Expect the famed strawberry swirl, a chocolate-and-skyr version, and an apricot-and-rosemary variation (€25). The vanilla ice mille-feuille (€25) takes a different tack, with its crisp puff pastry, vanilla pastry cream, and a generously heaped chantilly.
Good news for budgets: the bar takes over in the mid-afternoon, letting you pop in for a drink and a glass of champagne without reserving a full table. The terrace is open Wednesday to Sunday, weather permitting, and a quick call before crossing Paris is highly recommended. All the information is on the official Cheval Blanc Paris site, access is through the hotel, quai du Louvre, just a few minutes from the Louvre-Rivoli métro.
Le Jardin, the rooftop terrace at Cheval Blanc Paris for Summer 2026
The Garden, Cheval Blanc Paris’s verdant rooftop, invites you to its 650 m2 perched on the 7th floor for the 2026 summer season. There you’ll find William Béquin’s fresh menu and Maxime Frédéric’s famed ice-cream sundaes, open Wednesday to Sunday throughout the summer. [Read more]
Shift in mood in the 8th arrondissement, where the hidden terrace of the George V dresses up in fuchsia pink orchids for the season. We stroll through the palace foyer and its floral designs by Jeff Leatham, push open the patio door, and the street noise on the avenue drops away. A Riviera villa tucked behind a Haussmann facade—the effect is quite striking.
The 2026 summer menu takes on Italian-inflected notes under the guidance of star chef Simone Zanoni. On the dessert side, Michael Bartocetti and Guillaume Cabrol do the honors. The selection of maritozzi (40 €) ranges from strawberry to pistachio, not forgetting tiramisu, but our pick goes to the affogato (25 €) for its hot-and-cold contrast, and to the Fraise Melba (32 €) when you’re truly after freshness.
The patio opens in the mid-afternoon and runs through September 2026, with summer reservations highly recommended. All bookings are handled on the Four Seasons Hotel George V website, on Avenue George V, just a few minutes from the boutiques of Avenue Montaigne and the Grand Palais.
The hidden terrace at the George V opens its patio, lush with pink orchid blooms and Italian accents, through September 2026. Cocktails, generously sized focaccia, and frozen desserts offer a summer interlude to treat yourself to a magical moment in Paris’s 8th arrondissement. [Read more]
The third spot is arguably the most discreet. The garden terrace of Shangri-La Paris, in the 16th arrondissement, sits in the formal French garden of the former private mansion of Prince Roland Bonaparte, built between 1892 and 1896 and listed as a Historic Monument. Hidden from the street, it only opens on sunny days and now houses the bistro Maison Roland.
It's tea time when this secret garden truly shines. The cup of strawberries with frozen yogurt (€19) is our summer favorite—fresh and not too sweet. The pavlova with red berries (€28) is easy to share for two, with a meringue that cracks just right, and the signature floating island (€18) reminds us why this dessert stays in style.
A little gem for real gourmets: Timothy Lam’s lemon ice, served at the Salons du Prince—the palace’s other dining room—topped with a quenelle of caviar. Service runs all day Monday through Saturday, with shorter hours on Sunday, and reservations are made through the Shangri-La Paris site, on Avenue d'Iéna, with the Iéna (line 9) and Kléber (line 6) stations right nearby.
The Garden Terrace at Shangri-La Paris reopens for the sunny season, just steps from the Trocadéro. This garden, usually closed to the public, now hosts the Maison Roland bistro, to be enjoyed all summer 2026 for a lovely interlude with the Eiffel Tower in view. [Read more]
These three palace terraces speak first to those seeking a quiet interlude—a moment of romance or a casual gathering with friends—without necessarily committing to a full dinner or lunch. The iced dessert cup is the smart move in this selection: it lets you enjoy the setting for the price of a dessert, where a full meal would quickly push up the bill.
What should you pick? Le Cheval Blanc for the stunning views and pastry mastery, the George V for an instant sense of escape, the Shangri-La for calm and good value. Three standout discoveries to try at least once this summer.
If you’re craving a scoop, you’ll also want to try the Bulgari Hotel Paris terrace and its exceptional gelato, a summer that’s very Italian in spirit. For a more artisanal and accessible take, our guide to ice-cream parlors serving great artisanal gelato in Paris rounds up the capital’s best addresses.
And to compare the settings before deciding, our pick of luxurious terraces in Paris and Île-de-France in 2026, alongside the guide to hidden terraces in 2026, will give you plenty more ideas.
Le Jardin, the rooftop terrace at Cheval Blanc Paris for Summer 2026
George V's Hidden Terrace: An Italian Summer at a Parisian Palace
Terrace in Maison Roland’s garden at Shangri-La Paris: the 16th arrondissement’s secret refuge.
